The State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) was established in

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

in 2005 as an independent body that makes and reviews a range of administrative decisions. Individuals,

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...

es,

public official An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of the ...

s and vocational boards can bring before the SAT many different types of applications related to civil, commercial and personal matters. These range from reviews of multimillion-dollar

tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

judgments and dog destruction orders to disciplinary proceedings, guardianship questions and

town planning Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

and compensation issues. The SAT was established by the State Administrative Tribunal Act 2004 and the State Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction) Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 (Conferral Act). The Conferral Act refers to more than 150 existing Acts of Parliament, known as enabling Acts. The enabling Acts give the SAT the

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' and 'speech' or 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, the concept of jurisdiction applies at multiple level ...

to make decisions on specific matters. The SAT: *aims to make the correct or preferable decision based on the merits of each application; *is not a

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

and, therefore, strict rules of evidence do not apply; *encourages the resolution of disputes through

mediation Mediation is a structured, voluntary process for resolving disputes, facilitated by a neutral third party known as the mediator. It is a structured, interactive process where an independent third party, the mediator, assists disputing parties ...

; *allows parties to be represented by a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

, a person with relevant experience or by themselves; *holds hearings in public in most cases; and *provides reasons for all decisions and publishes most of them on the website. The SAT's objectives are set out in the State Administrative Tribunal Act 2004.

Areas

Given its broad jurisdiction, SAT matters are divided into four areas that enable procedures to be adapted to suit the type of matter and the needs of different people who use the SAT. The areas are: *

Human Rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

Makes decisions that affect some of the most vulnerable people in our community in relation to guardianship, administration and

discrimination Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong, such as race, gender, age, class, religion, or sex ...

, and reviews decisions of the Mental Health Review Board. *Development & Resources Reviews decisions made by Government regarding planning, development and resources, and hears matters relating to land valuation and compensation. *Vocational Regulation Hears complaints concerning occupational

misconduct Misconduct is wrongful, improper, or unlawful conduct motivated by premeditated or intentional purpose or by obstinate indifference to the consequences of one's acts. It is an act which is forbidden or a failure to do that which is required. Misc ...

and reviews decisions concerning

licensing A license (American English) or licence ( Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another par ...

. *Commercial & Civil Deals with

strata title Strata title is a form of ownership and housing tenure devised for multi-level apartment blocks and horizontal subdivisions with shared areas. The word "strata" refers to apartments on different levels. Strata title was first introduced in 19 ...

and

retirement village A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves. Assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socialization opp ...

disputes, commercial

tenancy A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

and credit and reviews State revenue decisions and other commercial and personal matters.

Organisation

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

judge is President of the Tribunal. The President is assisted by two deputy presidents, who are District Court judges, and a number of members who are experienced in relevant fields. In 2007 the WA Parliament (Standing Committee on Legislation) commenced an inquiry into operations of the SAT. It resulted in the 2009 report "Inquiry into the Jurisdiction and Operation of the State Administrative Tribunal".

References

External links

Website of the State Administrative Tribunal

{{DEFAULTSORT:State Administrative Tribunal Of Western Australia 2005 establishments in Australia Courts and tribunals established in 2005 Western Australian courts and tribunals Australian tribunals